Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers

There are hundreds of delicious, savory recipes using culinary  lavender which tempted me this week ~
But because they are at their peak now I gravitated towards recipes using berries . . .
such as this one, which I slightly adapted from one of the Trader Joe's cookbooks.





These are very easy to make; the method is to roll puff pastry  out with a rolling pin (the work surface and the top of the raw pastry is  sprinkled generously with Turbinado sugar prior to rolling.)





The pastry is cut into squares, (or whatever shape you like) and baked off in a hot oven.   After cooling on a rack the squares are  sliced in half horizontally. 
You can use a variety of fillings ~ pudding, whipped cream, lemon curd, mascarpone, etc.  I used a creamy plain yogurt, blended  with a little raspberry jam and lavender honey to sweeten the mix.


Arrange berries, or any fruit that you like on the  filling, then top with the remaining puff pastry half and enjoy!
So good!

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And, as I mentioned, MORE berries . . .

This recipe is inspired from one I found on the internet and served at a lavender farm in the UK.
It is called a fruit cup but I think we, on this side of the pond, would consider it a really refreshing drink with a lot of fruit in it. :)




No matter the name it is really delicious, not too sweet and doesn't contain much of  an alcohol kick. The strawberries from the garden are slowing in production now, but I found just enough to make the recipe. 
I believe other fruit would work equally well (I'm thinking another kind of berry, sliced peaches, nectarines, plums, or pitted cherries.)




I would describe it as a twist on Sangria ~ delightful! I serve it with a spoon to get every piece of fruit ~ a straw would make it easier to sip the liquid, too.


  (Please note: I'm not endorsing any particular brand of ginger ale --  I attempted to block the logo, but it looked like a train wreck. And I love my good neighbors to the north in Canada!)

These are the ingredients: 
Fresh orange juice, lemon juice, ginger ale and a splash of dry vermouth. Lots of sliced strawberries. Muddled lavender. For garnish: lemon balm (or lemon verbena) and a stem or two of  lavender. Serve well chilled!




I'll have the recipes and links to them up on Friday.



Thank you for coming by for a visit ~ I appreciate your comments if you care to leave one!






I know you'll enjoy stopping by each of the Novel Bakers blogs to see their magical creations today ~
(To visit click on the links below.)

Home is Where the Boat Is 

Rattlebridge Farm

Sidewalk Shoes

a quiet life blog

Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers!

Welcome to Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers. This week we have a special guest joining us:
Pam from Sidewalk Shoes!

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We'll be posting about Lavender on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week, I hope you'll enjoy what we have to share.

Here is one of the books that inspired us:

(click the image to learn more)

The first recipe I made was from the book~

"Grilled Lavender Honey Breast of Chicken"

Of course, as is my way, I had to tweak it a bit.

I didn't have boneless chicken breast halves with skin,

so I cubed the boneless chicken and marinated in the delicious citrus

and lavender honey glaze, 

then skewered the chicken chunks, ribbon-candy style with

prosciutto, and grilled the skewers. 

If you don't care for the look of charred skewers, of course you'll
plan ahead and soak them in water before loading the ingredients.  :)

We really enjoyed the flavor the marinade added;

 made with vinegar, lavender honey, fresh lemon zest and juice

along with fresh lime juice and finely ground culinary Provence

lavender buds, a little olive oil and salt and pepper.

I served it as an appetizer course and it quickly disappeared.

I would definitely make this one again, either this way or

as the original recipe suggests~ boneless chicken breasts

with skin-on as a main course.

It was declared a winner.
Thumbs up!

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We're still harvesting our blueberries, so

in keeping with the Lavender theme, I served

the skewers with Blueberry-Lavender Spritzers ~

you can serve them as the recipe suggests spiked with vodka,

but I found they were equally delicious sans the vodka. The

choice is yours.

I think the combination of blueberries and lavender is absolutely

heavenly ~ whether in this luscious Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream,
(from many, many posts ago), or in this delightful liquid concoction.

It is an easy one to make ahead. First you make the blueberry-lavender

simple syrup (can make it up to a week ahead and keep it in

the refrigerator.)

When you're ready to make the drinks, just put ice cubes in the glasses,

add some of the blueberry-lavender simple syrup, then 

pour the remaining ingredients over.

Garnish with a stem of lavender, a sprig of lemon verbena (or lemon balm)

and a slice of lime.

For an added treat, freeze some blueberries and float them in

the drinks.

Such a refreshing beverage on a hot day!

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Not feeling in the blueberry mood? 

Then you might want to try this recipe from Elise

@ Simply Recipes (I love her blog!)

Lavender Lemonade

I first tasted this at a local restaurant about 10 years ago. It's been a favorite ever since.






Note:
I'll have all of the recipes I share during Lavender Week posted on my recipe blog on Friday. (I'll share the links on Friday.)
A few tips about lavender~ 
Thought to have first been cultivated in the Mediterranean regions, lavender is easy to grow, and grows in poor soil where other plants may fail.
Lavender's uses include: 
Landscaping, crafts, floral decor, culinary, personal care, including therapeutic applications.
Both the flowers and the foliage of lavender are intensely aromatic and the flowers range in color from blue, very dark purple, pink, white and yellow depending upon the variety.
English lavender and Provence lavender are the two types most usually used in cooking.
A little lavender goes a long way in recipes, so it's best to start with a light touch, adding more if you like a more pronounced flavor and aroma.

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Please come along and see the treats the Novel Bakers have in store for you during Lavender Week!
Click on the links below:
Home is Where The Boat Is
Rattlebridge Farm
A Quiet Life
Sidewalk Shoes


Thank you for stopping by today, friends.
Please come back on Wednesday, we have lots more to share!

White Christmas Hot Chocolate

Extra special and perfect for a cold wintery day warm up ~

It's hot, delicious and creamy and not too sweet. By no means low in calories, but it's very good and an top-notch alternative to eggnog.

White Christmas Hot Chocolate

4 to 6 servings

6 ounce white chocolate, chopped (or 1 cup white chocolate chips)

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla whipped cream (or topping) for garnish

Optional garnishes; see below

Directions~

Combine white chocolate and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until chocolate melts.

Stir in half-and-half and vanilla extract. Heat gently until hot, stirring occasionally.

Pour into mugs or cafe latte bowls, then top generously with vanilla whipped cream (or whipped topping).

Garnish with decorative colored sprinkles or a dusting of cinnamon, cocoa powder, or grated white chocolate.

Optional for the adults:

To each serving~

Before topping with whipped cream, stir in the following:

1/2 ounce white chocolate liqueur (Godiva or Mozart)

1 ounce Southern Comfort, or Brandy

Then dollop on the whipped cream and garnish.

Cheers!

Aromatherapy You Can Eat

A treat for vision, taste and olfactory senses ~ this is a delightful and simple indulgence.

You will simply need:

The sweetest, juiciest, deepest colored orange you can find

1 star anise

a little sugar or honey (optional)

a broiler

your favorite tea

Wash the orange and cut it in half, across the equator. With a small, sharp paring knife section the orange between the membrane (as you would a grapefruit half.)

Set orange upright on an oven-proof pan, sprinkle with sugar, or drizzle with honey if using.

Set the kettle to boil for your tea, preheat oven to broil, position rack close to the heat element.

Choose a perfect star anise, a pretty cup and plate.

Place the orange half, flesh side under the broiler and heat until the sections become juicy and bulge upwards a bit. While orange is broiling, prepare your tea.

Carefully remove orange from broiler and place on plate, immediately put the star anise on the hot orange, allowing the magical fragrance to develop.

Take your plate with tea to a comfy place, breathe in the heavenly fragrance while the orange cools a bit and enjoy.

A private, quiet luxury, costing only pennies.

Note: You can reserve the star anise when you are finished for use another time. Rinse it quickly in cool water. Allow it to air dry, wrap well and store in refrigerator or freezer.

* My personal favorite with this is Harney & Sons, Special Valentine's Blend of Chocolate Tea with Rosebuds.

Sweet English Lavender

English Lavender is blooming in the garden beds right now. I love to cut the blooms to dry for their soothing fragrance when summer is only a memory. And to dry for lavender recipes .

A really pretty refresher is made from iced water (bubbly or not), with a thick drizzle of French lavender syrup stirred in, and a crush of fresh mint. It's so welcome on a hot day.

Un Verre D'Amitie ~ A Glass of Friendship

With the syrup you can enjoy a lavender refresher at any time of year.

Even when the Lavender is actually in bloom!

I'm drying the lavender and plan on sharing some of my favorite recipes using culinary lavender in the future. If you have any favorites, please email me. I'd love to see your recipes.

Lavender Sellers’s Cry ~

London, 1900

"here’s your sweet lavender

sixteen sprigs a penny

that you’ll find my ladies

will smell as sweet as any"